<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Human Race Events - Tri247</title><link>http://www.tri247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest human race events articles from Tri247</description><item><title><![CDATA[Two reports from the TuffMan]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9606.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Back from his overseas duties, Jim McConnel made the trip down to East Grinstead to race the TuffMan in conditions that were brutally cold for the duathletes and positively outrageous for the sole triathlete... Also lining up to protect her position at the head of the leaderboard was Kate Robson and her report forms the second half of this bumper edition.



Jim McConnel&#039;s report
What a great day to be out and living life!

On possibly the coldest day of the year so far (my car thermometer said -5&amp;deg;C at 8am), a healthy herd of post-Christmas off-road duathletes gathered at Pippingford Park in East Sussex for the penultimate round of Human Race&#039;s Asics Off-road Series.

Aptly named TuffMan, one of the hardest jobs was getting changed at the back of the car and deciding on just how many layers to wear. Scolded for rocking up at the line by my friends with bare knees showing above my long socks, I was keen to get racing and get warmed up properly.

We headed off on the first 8km run loop at a frantic pace - and still warm from a training camp in Lanzarote, Paul Davies showed the rest of the field a clean pair of heels and dragged out a small gap. The run continued and every person was delicately making their way over the hard rutted ground, trying to avoid twisted ankles and get the blood flowing everywhere including fingers and toes.

By the end of the undulating 8km, the positions had mixed up with strong favourite Richard Stannard languishing nearly a minute off the pace. Getting into his stride on his 29er race bike though, he soon cleaved through to the top five and started to pull away. The race lead swapped hands on the icy course several times, with poor line choices, traffic and tricky sections putting riders under pressure. Fortunately I was strong enough to put on a bit off pressure later in lap two, but ultimately the big Stannard lungs shone through and he led into T2.

Following on in the men&#039;s race, the jostle for third to sixth was tight with several regular faces battling it out and some new blood mixing it up. Meanwhile in the women&#039;s race, Kate Robson was smashing the field to pieces and threatening an impressive top 20 overall performance in the field of around 190.

After another 4km undulating dash down into the valley Stannard led home to secure victory in the race and take the series overall. No one can catch him now with three wins and one second on the scoreboard. I was pleased to put a marker down in second showing me that the winter training is on track and the bigger summer challenges I have planned with XTERRA France and the Inferno will be a good chance to really deliver.

Regular podium-maker Colin Dixon pulled out a great second run to claim third place although he cited the course as &#039;too technical&#039; for his biking skills. Got to be grateful for small mercies as the way he runs downhill is akin to a real fell runner.

Kate Robson piled home in first place and the only other word I heard  from the women&#039;s race was from poor Fay Cripps who was forced to retire after taking an unscheduled full body dip in the freezing lake whilst on the bike leg.


Kate Robson&#039;s report
After swearing last year that I&rsquo;d never do Tuffman again after coming off my bike three times and practically crying all the way around the gruelling bike course, I found myself getting up bright and early, travelling down on the icy motorway towards Pippingford. I was dreading it. But to retain my leading position in the series, I had to do it.

However, the conditions were completely different this year and rather than the very boggy, sticky mud of last year we were faced with freezing temperatures. So, after layering up to the max, my main concern actually turned out to be the frozen solid ground and trying not to sprain my ankle like I did at Mudman. So, with three base layers on, hat gloves, long socks and three quarter length leggings, I had definitely overdressed and was wishing I wasn&rsquo;t such a wimp.

The first run set off and as usual everyone goes for an all out 200m sprint to start. I steadily started overtaking the men, hoping to get a fast first run in, knowing that I would struggle on the technical bike section. All of the old faces had turned up for the men&rsquo;s race which was great to see, making for a fast race for them and Aileen Morrison had also turned up, keeping me in check. The first 8km run was all about keeping upright on the twisty and bumpy paths. It was a great recce of the bike course to come. I felt good and even had some of the top men in sight for much of the way. Nonetheless, the two long steep hills showed us who&rsquo;d been putting in some hill training (not me) and who was still carrying a bit of Christmas weight.

Coming into T1 in about 16th place overall, I was quite well up and then began the mountain bike journey around the 13 km bike course. There were lots of fast descents, technical single tracks and two long, energy sapping climbs. I would like to apologise for anyone who was stuck behind me on any section of the course! As with the previous races, I kept expecting Aileen to come past me on the bike, especially being the most technical of the courses so far, but I must have been going better than expected. To be honest, I was just happy to get round relatively unscathed and only fell off twice!

Going into the final run, I felt really good but it was pretty difficult to get going, running on the bumpy frozen grass and running sideways up hills but I did manage to catch a couple of men back up. Thankfully, it was a nice short final 4km run although the final kilometre took you up the last long hill of the day. Luckily I wasn&rsquo;t in a sprint finish for the end so I could steadily climb the hill although upsetting a lot of the people still cycling by passing them! In the end, I came in 21st overall, first woman and five minutes ahead of Aileen. Farah Azirar did really well to finish third, helping her to climb up the leader board in the overall standings. My thoughts go out to Fay Cripps who had to retire early after falling in the frozen lake on the bike leg. Hope you are recovering well.

In the men&rsquo;s race way ahead, Richard Stannard cited that he had a steady start saying that he didn&rsquo;t really like the twisty turny running conditions but he played to his strengths and soon caught up with the front men on the bike leg. It sounds like he had a pretty epic battle with second placed Jim McConnel but Richard pulled away on the long climb back up to transition. With a very fast second run, Richard won comfortably in the end. Colin Dixon had a very strong final run to finish third. Richard appears to have the race series in the bag but the other positions are all still to play for which will make an exciting race at Trailman!

I&#039;d like to say a massive thank you to all the marshals for braving the freezing temperatures, doing such a fantastic job and for cheering us on.

Full results are online HERE, the top places were:


	
		Pos
		Men
		Women
	
	
		1
		Richard Stannard 1:27:46
		Kate Robson 1:42:24
	
	
		2
		Jim McConnel 1:28:24
		Aileen Anderson 1:47:36
	
	
		3
		Colin Dixon 1:28:54
		Farah Azirar 1:56:43
	
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Race Report: Wildman]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9558.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Despite pre-race concerns over her lack of training and a nagging back strain, Asics Off-Road Series leader Kate Robson made it to the start line at Hankley Common and maintained her unbroken run of wins. Here&#039;s her report:



After the festivities of Christmas and New Year, WildMan was set to be a real test of who had been putting in a little extra training over the holidays and who had been eating too many mince pies. Not to mention the inevitable colds and bugs going round at this time of year (I&#039;m speaking from personal experience on all of the above!). So turning up at Hankley Common, it was a relief to find some near perfect weather: mild and dry (if a little windy for some). The course had the usual Asics Off-road Series mixture of lots of very steep hills and waterways which seemed to be made more grueling by the sandy and rocky terrain.

In hot pursuit of a crocodile (yes, really...) the runners set off first. An impressive turnout in both the 10km and the 15km distances saw a field of over 300 runners soon strung out up the first ascent away from the start area. In the 10km run, David Hellard (a series regular) had a comfortable lead finishing in a quick 42:54, nearly two minutes clear of second place Stephen Winter.

An equally impressive winning margin decided the 15km race with Michael Hiscott taking the win in 59:47. The battle for second and third was settled with a sprint finish with Guy Bowles just getting the better of Sam Baxter on the line.

In the duathlon, it was a return to the format of race one in the series with a 10km run followed by 18km on the bike and a final 5km run. The course proved to be deceptive, although seemingly &lsquo;flat&rsquo; (in comparison to round one and two) the combination of steep inclines, rocky descents and long sandy stretches proved to be a test for even the best. It wasn&#039;t long before the first long steady climb of the day stretched the field of nearly 200 duathletes out and as usual the top men soon pulled out a clear lead over the large pack behind. We didn&rsquo;t see much of them for the rest of the race!



In the women&#039;s race all the series leaders were competing and there was everything to play for. Having had a very disrupted December and January through illness and then managing to sprain my back on Wednesday, I was deliberating whether to race at all and finally made my decision to race after having a tentative warm up before the start of the race. All I wanted to do was get round and finish so that I could contend in the series points leader board. So I set off steadily and didn&#039;t push myself. Whether it was the sandy terrain or just how I was feeling, I never really got going and was sure Aileen or Fay would catch up eventually. The hills were as steep as ever and there was a nice freezing cold pond to wade through up to the thighs for about 10 metres, which I have to say, was a welcome relief on the third lap when the cramp started to kick in.

In first place after the first 10 km run, I felt the burn in my legs on the first stretch of the bike. I personally found the sandy stretches pretty tricky but somehow managed to stay on my bike. I kept looking over my shoulder for Aileen as she is usually a couple of minutes quicker on the bike but she didn&#039;t materialise so I knew I had it in the bag once I got onto the last run and just had to get round. It&#039;ll be interesting to see whether the next two duathlons have a more technical bike course, because then I think I might have a bit more to worry about! So in the end, Aileen came in a strong second and Fay Cripps came in third, an excellent result considering she had a nasty bike crash in November resulting in cracked ribs and nerve damage.

In the men&#039;s race, it was all change at the front with Cedric Lassonde (Tri UK) giving Richard Stannard a run for his money. Cedric led from the word go and had a phenomenally quick first run that saw him enter the bike section over two minutes ahead of second place. A strong bike leg and final run meant he finished 2:48 minutes ahead of Richard in a time of 1:52:01. Paul Davis had his best race of the series, finishing in third in 2:01:48.

With the TuffMan in less than two weeks there is little time to cram in any last minute training; with long climbs, some technical bike sections and the inevitable dollop of mud the TuffMan at Pippingford promises to be an equally exciting and close-fought race. See you on the start line!]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Shock Absorber WomenOnly Triathlon filling with inspiring stories]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9552.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The unique atmosphere created by the Shock Absorber WomenOnly Triathlon looks set to continue in 2012 with 50% of the available places already filled six months out from the event date. Those taking on the challenge will start by swimming in the clear waters of 2012 Olympic Venue Dorney Lake before heading out onto traffic-free roads to cycle and then finishing their triathlon experience with a run along the banks of the lake beside crowds of cheering friends and family.

The event, taking place on Sunday the 10th of June, has grown each year to become one of the highlights of the triathlon calendar and provides a uniquely unintimidating environment for women to take on the challenge of the UK&rsquo;s fastest growing sport. The diverse range of distances offer something for those going for a PB on the fast flat course, through to first timers testing out the water. 

Among the first timers are many ladies using the triathlon as motivation to get fit, lose weight or raise money for a range of wonderful causes. Candia Styles-Coles has already lost over 7 stone in training for the event and is determined to maintain her journey towards fitness in the 6 month run up to race day. &ldquo;When I was fifteen I was really into sports and being able to rekindle this relationship has been great.  I am healthier and fitter than I have been for a very long time and am enjoying getting back into sport.&rdquo;

Fellow early sign-up Jackie McManus has been through a gruelling year after being diagnosed with Breast Cancer and is now on a mission to raise awareness and do her bit to help fund the official charity of the WomenOnly Tri, Breast Cancer Care.  &ldquo;I was inspired to participate after supporting a friend at the event in 2011 and 2010. I have been to support her both times, it was very emotional and now I want to put my whole heart into raising money for Breast Cancer Care. Bring on the training!&rdquo;

Another to take up the Breast Cancer Care mantle, Rebecca Ferbuyt takes on the Shock Absorber WomenOnly Triathlon as part of a ten event challenge during 2012. &ldquo;The events I am doing will total 262 miles of swimming, cycling and running which is the equivalent to 10 marathons! I&rsquo;m doing it to raise money for Breast Cancer Care and to honour my mother&rsquo;s best friend.&rdquo; 

More information on the Shock Absorber WomenOnly Triathlon and the official Charity, Breast Cancer Care can be found at www.humanrace.co.uk where you can also find details of how to enter the event online.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jones Lang LaSalle launches sixth Property Triathlon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9474.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The sixth Jones Lang LaSalle Property Triathlon was launched today, Friday 6th January 2012, with registration set to open on Wednesday 18th. The event, co-sponsored by Property Week and coordinated by Human Race is now firmly established as one of the UK&#039;s largest triathlons and will be taking place on Friday May 25th at Dorney Lake, Eton, which is also the venue for the Olympic rowing events of this year&rsquo;s games.

Entry for the sprint (750m swim, 25km cycle and 5km run) event will open on the Property Triathlon website on Wednesday 18th January 2012 where you can register your place. To date, the Property Triathlon has raised over &pound;870,000 for charity, with Macmillan Cancer Support benefiting from this year&rsquo;s entry donations.

Richard Batten, Executive Chairman at Jones Lang LaSalle commented on the event: &ldquo;In this Olympic year the Property Triathlon takes on even greater significance &ndash; novice or expert, young or veteran set your sights high, Go for Gold!&rdquo;]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Last chance to enter Speedo ‘Swim The Year’ competition]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9412.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Today is the last chance to enter the competition run by Human Race which will see one lucky swimmer win entry into all six races in the 2012 Speedo Open Water Swim Series and a Speedo triathELITE wetsuit.

With the series encompassing rivers, lakes and swims and each event including a number of different distances, the prize means a full year of swimming in some of the most picturesque locations in the UK. The series kicks off with the Eton event in May which features numerous distances from 750 metres up to the full 10 kilometres swimmers marathon before the WomenOnly Swim at Dorney Lake a few weeks later. Following that, the series takes to moving water with swims in the River Thames at Windsor, Hampton Court and then Marlow during June, July and August before the finishing on a high with a sea swim in the stunning location of Sandbanks, Poole in September.

According to John Lunt, MD of series organisers Human Race, the competition is perfect for those new to the sport, as well as seasoned open water swimmers. &ldquo;Because all the events in the series have achievable distances as well as challenging longer courses, whoever wins will be able to swim all year and experience just how much the UK has to offer from an open water point of view.&rdquo;

Along with entry to all six races in the series, the lucky winner will receive a Speedo triathELITE wetsuit designed specifically for open water swimming and a host of other goodies from the official sponsors and partners of the Speedo Open Water Swim Series to help them prepare for a year of swimming open water.

To enter the competition email organisers Human Race on races@humanrace.co.uk  with &lsquo;I WANT TO SWIM THE YEAR&rsquo; in the subject line by midnight tonight!
More details on the 2012 Speedo Open Water Swim Series can be found at www.openwaterswimseries.co.uk]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Asics MudMan report]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9392.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Jim McConnel reports from the second of the Asics Off-Road Series, the MudMan. Unlike last year&#039;s snow-covered winter wonderland, this year the event really lived up to its name. Pictures courtesy of Katie Voutt.



Yikes. What a shock to the system the Asics Mudman off-road duathlon was this weekend. A shortish set of leg distances were on the menu: 8km run, 16km three-lap MTB and a further 8km run to finish. Easy huh?

With some course tweaks explained by designer Jeremy on the start line, I wasn&#039;t alone as it dawned on me that this course was going to be more extreme than ever before. The first 8km run included the usual repeated ascents of Heartbreak Ridge which is a test of every competitor to keep driving up and down. But whilst the all new 50 metre-long water splash pit may have made for good photo options, it certainly meant freezing stiff feet for all competitors just five minutes into the race! And then toward the end of the 8km run, athletes are somewhat teased by a glimpse of transition before the course dives away again down steep sandy slopes on a final kilometre loop before heading back into transition.

A 12km trail run race kicked off at 0930 and the first athletes from that were seen streaming back through the trees muddy and fighting hard as the duathlon lined up for the 1015 start. Richard Lazell led over 150 runners home in an impressive 47:49 with Pauline Dalton in the 45-49 age group taking the women&#039;s first place in 58:39. In the CaniCross race - dog and handler attached starting five minutes behind the main field - Mark Dunbar finished fifth overall and headed up that category in a great time of 53:19.

1015. Cue hooter. Serpentine running gazelle Hugh Torry belted off into the distance as the rest of the front pack picked their way gingerly through the water obstacle (there was a dry-footed long route as an alternative!). Once into the relentless hills the gaps widened quickly with a flu-ridden Richard Stannard managing to push hard, with Mark Chapman and Philip Westoby (Army Tri) hot on his heels.

I measured my effort through the first run along with Dafydd Hollis and we entered T1 together already a minute down on the leaders. The bike leg is short in this race. Not very technical at all, the majority is fireroad and the three laps seemed to fly by in no time. I was chewing on the bars hard and after Dafydd punctured behind me I was happy to overhaul Hugh, then Torq Fitness rider Chris Panayiotou, and finally split the fastest riding pair of Chapman and Westoby on the third lap.

That meant that as I climbed off my bright orange Genesis Fortitude 29er I was pumped to have made it back to second place. Just 90 seconds behind Stannard I headed out to do battle with the testing run course knowing I was in a for a tough time, having given a lot on the short but fast bike leg.

Sadly, it was a tough day for me and I struggled with the pace in the final leg, crossing the line after 1hr 54 04 in fifth place. I treat the day and result mentally as a success as I had to dig quite deep to keep some good form to the finish. Fortunately admist the incoming mince pies and Christmas cheer, I will be balancing it up with a constant search for hills to make my legs stronger!

Even though I didn&#039;t see it, from the splits the women&#039;s race looked tightly fought with IceMan winner, Kate Robson (BRAT) finally bringing home the victory, just two minutes ahead of Aileen Anderson (Bath Amphibians Tri Club) in a position repeating second. The girls placed way up in 17th and 22nd overall amongst a field of over 170 athletes.

Oh yes, nearly forgot, I wore a GoPro chest cam for this race. Some high or, more likely, lowlights will make their way to my website and the Human Race site in due course so if you&#039;re interested in getting involved in offroad duathlon you can get to see a flavour of what&#039;s in store!]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[IceMan: the female side of the story]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9380.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Following up on our IceMan report from Jim McConnel we have two from the women&#039;s field. First up is one from women&#039;s winner, Kate Robson, and a second one from fifth-placed Mel Brand.



Kate Robson:

After competing in the Asics Off-Road Series last year, two as runs and two as duathlons, I knew what to expect of the challenging courses but, somehow, you seem to forget the pain and torture after a long summer. And so I happily entered the IceMan race, recalling slightly that it was the least technical of the races and not too hilly.

So, you can imagine it came as a bit of a shock when after the first flat mile on the run came the relentless and incredibly steep hills that we had to climb. And, of course, I just kept thinking, &ldquo;there&#039;s another two laps of these&rdquo;! Despite this, I set off cautiously so as not to blow my lights and came in from the first run feeling confident.

Setting off on the bike, I was secretly pleased that it wasn&#039;t too technical although it took a long time for my legs to recover from the run. Three laps later and I&#039;d been overtaken by several men, but no women so I knew the last run was just about getting round. By this time I was pretty much just putting one foot in front of the other and slowly climbing the hills with my hands on my knees!

Luckily there was still a bit left in the tank for a glory-filled final sprint. Needless to say I could hardly sit down for the rest of the day as my glutes and hammies were so sore. However, now the pain has subsided I&#039;ll definitely be entering the MudMan, the next race in the series, for more of the same fun and pain! I hear that the MudMan&#039;s bike section is very technical which will suit second placed Aileen Anderson, so I&#039;d better get practising!

Mel Brand:

&lsquo;IceMan&rsquo;, notable for the distinct lack of ice, made for some very fast racing last Saturday. This is the first time I have raced one of Human Race&rsquo;s off-road duathlons and it&rsquo;s safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having read Jim McConnel&rsquo;s excellent report on the men&rsquo;s race, I thought it would be good to have a review of the girl&rsquo;s race too.

The series is clearly very popular with around 300 competitors there for the duathlon, alongside a trail race and a Canicross run. The women&rsquo;s field was not as large as the men&rsquo;s but that didn&rsquo;t mean that there wasn&rsquo;t some fierce racing. The great thing about having a mixed mass start is that the women can race with the men, this probably allowed for some faster splits, with plenty of people to chase throughout the morning.

Kate Robson of BRAT led from the start with a strong run, giving her almost three minutes lead into T1, hot on her heels were five other women all running pretty similar times for the first 10 km, myself included. The first 10km was a challenging run, not least because we knew that we still had the bike and second run to come. There were four (seemed like more) notable hills per 5 km lap of the run. These reduced many strong athletes to a walk! I kept looking out for a passing cani-crosser, to see if I couldn&rsquo;t get a pull up the hills from a husky, but none seemed to avail.

In and out of T1, Kate held her lead, but with Aileen Anderson of Bath Amphibians putting three minutes into Kate on the bike, they must have been pretty close come T2. The bike course was relatively flat and fast, thanks to the absence of the aforementioned ice! It was open enough to allow for overtaking but there were always people around to chase.

The second run was the time to &lsquo;test your mettle&rsquo;, and pacing. Athletes knew the hills they had to face, having run/walked them twice already. Legs were heavy and things were close at the front of the race. I managed to pick a few off on the second run. In the back of my mind I knew my legs were going to be tired after a few weeks heavy training, but at the end of the day either you knuckle down and race or you worry about being tired!

Kate Robson held off Aileen to finish first, with Aileen second and Marna Van Deventer, third. I came home fifth, just over a minute after third. Daz Parker came home strong in sixth.

All in all, a great race format and a good training day for me. There are four more races in the series so it will be interesting to see if people are back for more come the 3rd December (Mudman) in order to contest the series.

I hope to be back on the 3rd December, but the only trouble with enjoying something new is that you then want to upgrade your kit so that you can keep pace with the competition. However, as I am still paying off the osteo bills from last time I sent my MTB to the mechanic, I will have to save up first (who said 15kg was too heavy for a bike, and how did I know the mechanic would try and lift the thing off the floor to service it?)!
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Human Race launch new event with Nuffield Health]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9377.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[New for 2012 and taking place on Sunday May 27th, the Nuffield Health Triathlon Challenge offers something for absolutely everyone looking to get involved in one of the UK&rsquo;s fastest growing mass participation sports. With the three most popular triathlon distances on offer, this &lsquo;Festival of Tri&rsquo; is designed to be a perfect fit whether you&rsquo;re a triathlon expert, a complete novice or if you want to tackle the three-sport format as part of a team.

John Lunt, MD of organisers Human Race sees the Nuffield Health Triathlon Challenge as the perfect way to continue the company&rsquo;s track record of bringing triathlon to new and enthusiastic audiences. &ldquo;The team at Nuffield Health has some really interesting ideas for this event, both in terms of how to bring something new to triathletes and also how to offer access to a really broad range of people. From an organisational point of view we&rsquo;ll be putting together a world class event and look forward to making this an established feature on the UK triathlon calendar over the next few years.&rdquo;

The venue for the Nuffield Health Triathlon Challenge is the 2012 Olympic Rowing and Canoeing venue at Dorney, near Eton. Fast becoming the number one triathlon location of choice for the South East, the bike and run courses are completely flat and traffic-free while the water for the swim leg is purpose built for sport and is clean, clear and calm.

With distances from sprint up to standard/Olympic plus a scootathlon event for youngsters looking for their first taste of multisport, Nuffield Health  are looking to welcome a wide range of participants down to Dorney Lake. Sarah Marsh, Head of Integrated Health at Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Centres says:

&ldquo;Triathlon is the fastest growing sport in the UK and we know it&rsquo;s something many of our members take part in. We&rsquo;re delighted to announce the Nuffield Health Triathlon Challenge and hope that we can introduce triathlon to a new audience and inspire lots more people to get fit and healthy in 2012. The great thing about this event is that it&rsquo;s suitable for everyone from beginners to seasoned pros and we&rsquo;re in a great position to help new comers at our Fitness &amp;amp; Wellbeing centres with the expert advice and support. We have the expertise to offer personalised training plans for all levels of triathlete.

Rather than asking those who enter to raise money, we are asking entrants to pledge to support friends, family or colleagues to choose a fitter, healthier lifestyle. It could be promising to go for a weekly walk with a neighbour, helping a friend to quit smoking or signing up to the triathlon with a friend. We look forward to seeing some fantastic, inspirational pledges from all those who race.&rdquo;

Nuffield Health is the UK&rsquo;s largest not for profit healthcare organisation. As well as hospitals and health clinics, their Fitness &amp;amp; Wellbeing Centres across the UK provide a unique combination of fitness facilities and highly qualified health care professionals in one place. 

More information and how to enter the Nuffield Health Triathlon Challenge can be found at www.humanrace.co.uk

For more information about Nuffield Health visit www.nuffieldhealth.com 
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[HSBC Triathlon expands in 2012]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9355.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Organisers Human Race have confirmed that next year&rsquo;s HSBC Triathlon will take place at Olympic venue Dorney Lake on Sunday 16th September 2012. The event offers something for absolutely everyone looking to get involved in the UK&rsquo;s fastest growing sport with three popular triathlon distances on offer plus a brand new duathlon event and a scootathlon for children aged four to eight. 

This &lsquo;festival of multisport&rsquo; is perfect for seasoned veterans and complete novices alike and relay options are available for those looking to take on the challenge as part of a team. The location for the HSBC Triathlon could not be more perfect with Dorney Lake being used as the 2012 Olympic Rowing and Canoeing venue for three months before the event. The bike and run courses are completely flat and traffic-free while the water for the swim leg is purpose built, clean, clear and calm.

From its origins as a corporate event, title sponsors HSBC have now opened the day up to the general public in order to promote healthy living to as many people as possible, as explained by Human Race MD, John Lunt. &ldquo;The ethos of the HSBC Triathlon is to get everyone involved in the multisport experience, be it competing, supporting or just taking in the atmosphere on the day. That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re adding in the duathlon element along with the scootathlon for the kids. Now there really is something for everyone.&rdquo;

Being one of the last events on the 2012 triathlon calendar, the HSBC Triathlon is the perfect place to use that full season of fitness to post a fast time and have a great race. As one of the first events to use the venue after the Olympics has been in residence, the HSBC Triathlon is a great opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and get a look at the home of one of the greatest sporting events in the world first hand.

Distances on offer are the Super Sprint which features a 400m swim, 10km bike and 2.5km run followed by the Sprint (750m Swim, 20km Bike, 5km Run) and the Standard (Olympic) distance of 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run. The new duathlon event sees competitors take on a 5k run followed by a 20k bike and finishing with a final 2.5k run. The scootathlon event sees children aged from four to eight years take on a 400m scoot, 400m bike and a 250m run down the finishing tunnel to receive their medal.

More information on the event along with online entry can be found at www.humanrace.co.uk ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[IceMan duathlon report]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9351.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Regular off-road and XTERRA competitor Jim McConnel was testing out a new bike this weekend and the IceMan duathlon looked like a good place to see how well it rolled along. Here&#039;s his report from the Surrey woods.



Ladies and gentlemen, let battle commence.

That&rsquo;s what it felt like yesterday as the packed field of 250 racers pawed the line at the opening winter duathlon event in Human Race&#039;s Asics Off-Road Series &ndash; the IceMan. Amidst the front row was the 2011 standard distance age group World Champion Colin Dixon, and National Cross Triathlon champion Richard Stannard as well as several other XTERRA racers. The weather was bright and the course hard packed and dry, this was going to be fast.

Just before the start the course setter Jeremy explained the new route which effectively turns the previously flat 5k run loop into a windy lungbusting hilly painfest. And the bike, well that has opened up a bit and is as fast and as flat as one could hope for. A runner&rsquo;s race.

The race started jovially with the front group making quips as we legged it down the long straight towards the hills, but Jez Cox soon took the bridle and started to tow the group into a single chain of racers. Diving up and down the lumpy terrain for the first time the gaps were already widening and it was clear to me already that some folk have been training to be in form for these winter training events! A little misguidance on lap 1 of the run saw the front pack shuffled but it evened out again very quickly with Jez being the only sufferer and winding up in a bush dealing with a revisit of his breakfast after pushing too hard to get back in the race. Poor Jez, he is in fine form.

At the end of the first 10K run, Colin Dixon had extended a promising lead to pull him clear of the rest at the change to mountain bike. Several 29ers including my own prototype Genesis Fortitude rolled out of transition and the lap times only go to show the benefit of the big wheels on a fast course &ndash; Stannard clocked quickest of the day with me grabbing time on close rivals too.

The redesign on the bike course makes it better for the big field with plenty of passing opportunities, although with the big long straights it was beneficial to employ tactics and share the work with other riders where possible.

The bike leg ended after three furious laps with Stannard taking a commanding lead over Dixon. Then came the game of &lsquo;who has the strongest legs left&rsquo;. The uphills on the second run always seem twice as bad and can become painfully slow; power walking is always an option! Finally into the last flatter kilometre and the thrill of the finishing line means every racer pours on the effort, bursting into the arena to the clapping of the excellent supporters by the side of the finishing chute. Glad smiles and faces screwed up from the effort were plain to see as racers shared a few moments in the lunchtime sun.

So, that&rsquo;s it, Round 1 done. Stannard fresh back from XTERRA Worlds in Maui is looking dominant, but some new faces in the top ten are bound to keep everyone on their toes as we head to Camberley in two weeks time for the infamous MudMan. You thought this one was hilly, well you ain&rsquo;t seen nothing yet...



Full results are on the website here.
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